The Seeker's Quest
by Constantine Invictus
Summary: Lewis gave us a glimpse in The Last Battle at the story of King Gale and the conquest of the Lone Islands. This is that tale in full


THE SEEKER'S QUEST  
  
CHAPTER 1  
  
OVER THE WALL AND THROUGH THE THICKET  
  
This is a story that begins a long time ago, when the people of the River Bank never ventured into the Wide World and the Banks children were having wonderful adventures with a most unusual nanny. There was not yet television, and recordings were at best pale shadows of live music that quickly faded and became scratchy. Not many things were made of plastic as yet, and things we take for granted now, such as automobiles, airplanes, and telephones that reach overseas, were all recent arrivals and still viewed as, well, curious. Except for America and France, almost every nation had its king, and almost every king was accepted, if not necessarily loved, by his subjects. Discipline could be stricter, both in school and at home, and there were many questions asked now that neither children nor grown-ups would think of asking then, because it simply wasn't done. But food was better, especially Sunday dinner when whole turkeys and hams were cooked and served with vegetables bought, if not picked, the same day. The pace of things was less harried, and almost everyone could live his life with only the postman and the local policeman as visible reminders that there was even a thing called Government.  
  
James was a boy who was one of those few who could not forget that there was a Government and Affairs of State, for Father worked for His Majesty's Government, though what he did was not something James understood very well. What he did understand, to his great unhappiness, was that Father had been sent to Vienna on an assignment which was likely to last all summer, and Mother was to go with him as she hadn't had a real holiday since James was born and was not likely to get this chance again. He was to be sent to spend the holidays with his uncle William and aunt Catherine, who he had only vague memories of from a Christmas soiree some two or three years past, at their house far away from London and far away from any place he knew.  
  
The house itself was the type you never see in London and rarely see from the road except at a great distance. It was huge and old, two miles from the village and its rail station, set back from the nearest road by nearly the width of a football green, and divided into a north wing and a west wing, partially enclosing a garden with trees, a lawn, and several banks of flowers. Toward the back of that was another walled garden, which he was very quickly warned not to enter or even go near, on pain of severe punishment. Inside, once you got past the tall oak doors, the place was bright enough, but full of furniture of the kind you must never touch or lean against. However, it did not take very long to learn what furniture was for sitting and what was just to stand and look nice. The walls had both interesting paintings and framed charts of seas he had only read of in his lessons, as well as unusual objects that his uncle's father had picked up during his time as a naval officer. Above all was the constant tick- tock of the grandfather clock in the front hall, seeming to suggest that time here moved at a slower, but very deliberate pace. Uncle William, tall, bearded, and almost always wearing a tweed coat, was not to be seen much of, save at breakfast and tea, but was affable enough when he was present, frequently launching into tales of voyages and sea happenings that caught James' attention, and aunt Catherine was pleasant enough, never scolding or raising her voice without good cause. Still, she was busy running the household, and this did not leave her much time to talk or visit with James. So things settled into a routine for James of rising, washing, dressing, having breakfast, then being left to his own devices to read the books in the library or play about the garden, though almost always under the eyes of either Catherine or one of her servants. He did his best to keep his chin up and stay out of trouble, but on the whole he would rather have been back in London.  
  
That changed, however, when one evening he was called back to the house before the usual time for tea. With aunt Catherine stood a girl about his age, with curly brown hair, twinkling green eyes, and an impish tilt to her brows. "James, this is your cousin Gwyneth," said Catherine, "I hope the two of you can play nicely together."  
  
Shortly after tea Gwyneth asked James to play. He was hoping it would not be a girlish game, but at this point he did not care as much as he would have in London, since at least he would have someone his own age to play with and talk to. Surprisingly, Gwyneth led him out into the garden and over to the largest oak tree.  
  
She tapped the tree and said, "This tree can be home. Since you know this place less well than I do, I think I'll be "it" first." She then leaned against the tree, closed her eyes, and began counting. After she reached twelve and still knew James hadn't moved, she opened them and said "Come on, silly! Run and hide and I'll try to find you!"  
  
James was off like a shot. He'd of course played hide and seek with other boys, but never with a girl before. He knew the place well enough, though, and quickly ensconced himself in a hollow behind one of the outbuildings. He thought he could sit and snicker there for quite a while, but before two minutes had passed he heard the sound of his cousin's boots as she drew near, from a direction by which she could cut him off from home. He leaped from his hiding place and made a run for the oak, but Gwyneth was after him just as fast. He reached the tree just as her hand tapped his back, and I daresay no one could tell who had reached their goal first.  
  
"Safe!" he yelled.  
  
"Gotcha!" yelled Gwyneth at the same time.  
  
"Oh no, I made it!" he said.  
  
Gwyneth was about to make an angry response, but then said "It doesn't matter, does it? Next time we'll try it the other way."  
  
James started to laugh and so did she, but there was only time for one more game before Catherine called them in to have their baths and go to bed. Still, as he lay down that night, James decided that with Gwyneth around, this might not be such a bad summer after all.  
  
The next week was certainly not a bad one as James and Gwyneth spent all of their free time running, playing, bathing, exploring, and generally being high-spirited, except when they got tired enough to need a rest.  
  
It was when they needed one and were sitting together on one of the stone benches conveniently placed about the garden that Gwyneth's eyes lit up with an idea.  
  
"Do you ever wonder what's over that wall?" she asked.  
  
"Yes, but your parents specifically forbade. In fact they told me that I'd be given forty and confined to the house for two weeks if I went there."  
  
"Oh, they're just being difficult. Neither Mum nor Dad has ever spanked me, not even after the cookie jar affair (some years ago she'd stuck her head into an antique cookie jar and gotten it wedged, so her parents had to break the jar to get it off). They won't spank you either. That's just Nana's garden, or was. It's fallen into disuse since she died, and Mum and Dad are afraid of what might be there. But I slip in there regularly in the hols and there's nothing more dangerous than a few nettles and some thorns on an overgrown rose bush."  
  
"Even so, wouldn't your Mum be cross?"  
  
"What she doesn't know won't make her cross. It's just my secret place I go when I just want to be with my own thoughts."  
  
"All right, I'm game then."  
  
"Very well. But first you have to solemnly promise that you'll never say either of us has been there."  
  
James raised his right hand and half-jokingly said "I promise I'll never tell."  
  
"Right then. So follow me,"  
  
He followed Gwyneth around to the west side of the garden that was not visible from the house, else their little adventure and Gwyneth's secret would have been over before they started. She bent down and made her way through a thicket of green undergrowth. He followed suit, and for a moment he was in darkness, apparently the sun had gone in right about the time he started through the thicket. He could still hear rustling ahead of him, but apparently the thicket was much wider than he had thought, for the crawl seemed to go on and on longer than any thicket or wall should. He heard Gwyneth give a little cry from ahead, and quickened his pace, even though he thought it was probably nothing more than her having pricked herself on a thorn or been stung by a nettle.  
  
He crawled out, and suddenly found himself blinking in sunlight stronger than any he had been in save Brightsea at noon. Gwyneth stood there, stopped in her tracks, her eyes wide open. A moment later James saw why, and why she had cried out.  
  
CHAPTER 2  
  
UNDER THE KING'S BANNER  
  
James had expected to see nothing more than an overgrown garden under the canopy of trees, with perhaps a fountain or some other similar piece. But where he stood now was certainly no garden, and not even part of his uncle and aunt's home, he was sure. The thicket ended behind them. In front of them a field of green sloped down to rocks, and then to water. From the smell of it, they were near the sea. The whole scene was dominated by a castle to their left, built of white stone, with a town stretching away to its left. From that castle docks ran out into the water, and at the closest of those docks was a ship of the kind they had only read about and seen pictures of in books.  
  
It was built of wood, with a stern and forecastle higher than the area in between. Three masts reached up from the deck, each holding two or three sails of green cloth, though none of these were hoisted at the moment. The prow was decorated with the carved and gilded head of an eagle, and carved eagle's wings swept back from the prow almost to the midpoint of the ship. Men in tunics and boots moved up and down the gangplank, bringing barrels and bales aboard. On the dock three men more richly dressed than those moving the cargo stood talking.  
  
"Where have we got to?" managed James after he had taken all of this in.  
  
"I have no idea," said Gwyneth. "I know this isn't the garden, and for all I know this may not even be England."  
  
"What shall we do?"  
  
"I suggest going back."  
  
This appeared to be the practical thing to do, as it always does when one knows where he is going but suddenly finds himself in a place he does not know, but, try as they did, attempting to go back through the thicket did not bring them anywhere except into the woods on the other side that they could already see. Plainly, there was no getting back to her parents' garden immediately.  
  
Gwyneth decided "I suggest we approach those men, then. Perhaps they can tell us what to do, or at least where we are."  
  
"Oh, but oughtn't we not to talk to strangers? How do we know they'll even understand us?"  
  
"Do you have a better idea?"  
  
James realized there was really nothing else to be done, and when you are lost in a strange place it is best to approach someone who actually might know the place, since he might at least know how to get out of it. As they crossed the field it became more and more obvious that this was not England or even any place even remotely like it. More ships of the same kind as the first, though less ornate, bobbed along the shore, many more than would have been built or brought in for any wooden boat show in our world. The banner that flew from the highest tower of the castle was green with a golden rampant lion on it, and no banner like that flew anywhere in our world. On the battlements they could see, like silver studs, guards in mail shirts and helmets, again, more than would be fielded for any kind of medieval fair in this world. But what came as the biggest shock of all was a shadow suddenly passed over them, bigger than any bird of our world could cast, and when they looked up to see what had cast it, they saw not a bird but a bay horse, with wings as black as its mane and tail, sporting in the sky as birds might in our world.  
  
Both of them rubbed their eyes in wonder. Any thought that they might still even be in our world but at a different time faded away and both began to feel extremely frightened, for now they knew that there was nothing they could not expect to happen here. Still, they continued to walk towards the little knot of men, hoping inwardly that at least these were men and not something less mundane.  
  
Finally they reached the dock and approached the men. Thankfully they were just ordinary men to all appearances. I say ordinary only in the sense that they were human, for all of them were taller and stronger-looking than most people you see in this world who are used to sitting at desks most of the day and being borne everywhere by automobiles. All were fair-haired, two had blue eyes and one gray, and two had beards. Their garments included tunics of green with a red lion on the breast that reached to mid- thigh, tight-legged trousers, and high boots. Their golden belts and the jewels and enamel on the hilts of the straight swords they wore at them, made it obvious that they were probably noblemen.  
  
Plucking up his courage, James spoke. "Excuse me, sirs, but we're lost. Can you help us?"  
  
All three turned and looked at the children, whose drab and functional clothing made them look as odd to these men as a knight in full armor would to you or I. Their hands went to their sword hilts for a moment, but backed away when it was clear they were not dealing with anyone dangerous.  
  
"Who are you and whence came you?" asked one of them.  
  
"If you please sir," said Gwyneth, "we were trying to enter my mother's garden through the thicket, when we found ourselves here. We'd like to get back, if you can help us."  
  
"Your mother's garden?" asked another of the men incredulously.  
  
"Question them no more, Lorian," said the man with gray eyes. "I see too much fright in their faces for them to be lying, unless it be by magic. "Now then, children, you say you come from a different place than this?"  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
"And you did not try to get here?"  
  
"No, certainly not."  
  
The three men conferred among themselves for a moment, then the gray-eyed one spoke once more.  
  
"I must confess I too do not have any idea how you got here, unless it was by magic. But I have quite forgotten my manners. How are you called?"  
  
After James and Gwyneth nervously introduced themselves, the gray-eyed man said, "I am Gale, King of Narnia, and my great-great-great... oh, never mind the bother of going through all that. Frank, the first King of Narnia, was my ancestor, and we are taught he was brought here on the first day when Aslan made this world."  
  
"Aslan?" the children chorused, for each of them had felt a strange stirring inside when that name was mentioned, as you might feel at the announcement of a good result on an examination you had worried about, or upon hearing some particularly heroic-sounding strain of music.  
  
"Yes. Aslan. He is the King over all Kings in this world. But I see you do not know of him. It is our belief that he permits those from your world into this if and only if there is some task to be accomplished or some help needed. That being the case, I believe you should join us in our voyage."  
  
The children were both quite thunderstruck, as this was the last thing they expected to hear. But there was something about the earnest way King Gale spoke and the way they felt that told them this made sense, even though it might not have made sense intellectually. At any rate, there was no getting back to their world now, and these men appeared to be the only friends they had in it, so refusing the King's command made no sense.  
  
"All right, then," said James.  
  
"We'll join you," said Gwyneth, nervous but also excited.  
  
"Excellent. Ahoy there! Marus! Fetch two sets of page's mail and see that these two are properly equipped. We're adding two more to this crew."  
  
Marus returned with two bundles and showed the children to two small cabins toward the forecastle. At least each would have some privacy, though their quarters were each not much bigger than a large bed. Upon opening the bundles, they found that each contained a mail shirt, a light helmet not much more than a steel cap, a knife, a metal plate, a small metal cup, a tinder box (though its purpose had to be explained to them) a sea cloak of thick gray-green wool (wool is always the best for such garments because even when wet it continues to keep you warm, though it smells awful), a rudely made comb, a thick bar of soap, a very rough towel, and a few other items. Both were also taken to a locker below and James was given a sword (once one was found light enough for him to use) and a shield of green with the red rampant lion on it. There was no sword light enough for Gwyneth, but she was given a bow and a quiver of arrows, all with much broader and sharper heads than those she remembered seeing her parents and their friends use for target shooting.  
  
As they were stowing their things one of the sailors came and told them the king wished to see them on deck.  
  
"Friends, allow me to introduce the captain of the Seeker (for that was the name of the ship), Lord Esprian, and Lorian, his lieutenant." The other two men they had spoken to before reappeared and bowed. "My mission is to explore the eastern ocean as far as can be explored, and open whatever trade routes can be opened by so doing. I undertake this because Narnia lies at peace, and I am new to my throne."  
  
The children looked at Gale somewhat quizzically, as it did not appear to make much sense for a king to go dashing off to sea when he was new to the throne.  
  
Gale went on, "it is the law of Narnia that each king upon coming to the throne, save if that throne is in danger, must prove himself worthy of the title by quest or great deed. My father went far into the west and slew the Chimera, and his father before him defeated the Gray Sorceress who sought to enslave our people. So it falls to me to go into the East."  
  
That made sense, thought the children, for what king could hold the trust of his people who could not accomplish any deeds worthy of admiration?  
  
"Hoist the King's banner and let us put out to sea!" ordered Lord Esprian. Within a few minutes, the green banner with the golden lion was hoisted to the top of the tallest mast as the trumpeter sounded a fanfare. The mooring lines were released, and the Seeker sailed north and east. Within an hour the land and the castle (which was called Cair Paravel, the children were later told) were out of sight.  
  
CHAPTER 3  
  
NORTH AND EAST  
  
The first day at sea was largely taken up for the children with learning how to handle themselves on board ship, how to care for their equipment and themselves (they were reminded that the best way to keep from getting sick is to keep clean and properly fed) what each area of the ship was for and what duties they would be expected to help with, and how to fight if it came to that.  
  
Thurian, the Captain of the Archers, showed Gwyneth how to use her bow and explained what parts of an enemy to aim at and at what ranges "Aim for the center of the body at long or medium ranges, and for the eyes at close ranges," he said. "When facing a mounted enemy, aim for the steed, it presents a bigger and not as well-protected target and is usually as good as killing the rider."  
  
Arlian, who commanded the infantry contingent on board of about a dozen knights and 80 or so men-at-arms, taught James the use of the sword, both combined with a shield and without. "Every suit of armor has its weak points," he was told. "Look to the neck, the armpit, and the groin to strike at when facing an armored enemy, and when facing one that is not, aim for the throat or the center of the body. The spine is not called the cord of life for no reason."  
  
Both children were taught not to hesitate in a battle, "for one moment lost, if it is the wrong moment, can become the nail that loses the horseshoe and you know the rest," said the king. "And once the trumpeter sounds the retreat, do not attempt to fight on, a retreat is not a disgrace if it puts you in a better position than you would be if you attempted to fight on." They were also taught to fight to slay, for the enemy would be trying to do the same to them. Finally, it was drilled into Gwyneth that, no matter what happened, she must NEVER wet her bowstring, for it would then become useless, and it was drilled into James that he must NEVER sheathe his sword after a battle without first wiping it with whatever was available, and as soon as he was able he must properly clean and polish it, lest it lose its edge.  
  
Surprisingly, they picked up the fighting skills quicker than they would have in our world, it must be something in the air of that world, for similar things have happened to others who went there.  
  
And it was none too soon, for reasons that will soon become apparent. But, for the moment, they settled into the mission just as they would have if they had chosen to sign up for it themselves. Shortly before the end of that first day, they found that there were other than men among the crew. They were standing next to the rail taking a brief break from training when a large gray something approached. Again surprised, but not so much this time because they had already seen some odd things, they realized it was a cat. But it was much bigger than any cat you would normally see in this world, almost the size of a large retriever. It was gray with black stripes and piercing golden eyes, and it walked on its hind paws, which were shod up to the hips in boots of fine tan leather. Across its shoulder and around its belly it wore a belt similar to that worn by military officers in our world, and no wonder, since it was designed to hold a sword and a pocket pouch.  
  
"Mmmmm. Greetings" it said as it approached, twirling its whiskers as a man might twirl a mustache. Gwyneth was particularly enchanted, for she loved cats, and to see one that could talk was a wonder beyond wonders, but she had a feeling that this one would not go in for pats or cuddles from those it did not know, much as cats in our world are frequently skittish when someone they have never met tries to touch them. So she and James simply responded in kind.  
  
The cat introduced himself as Brindle, and gave his title as King's Scout, which was logical, for who is better than a cat at sneaking around and moving silently when those things are necessary?  
  
It was not yet noon of the second day out when the lookout called "Land Ho!" and the slopes of an island began to be visible off the starboard bow. Everyone was ordered on deck, and King Gale spoke to the assembled company.  
  
"Today we make our first stop on the island of Galma. The Duke is a kinsman and owes allegiance to the throne of Narnia, but this is still his land. I expect every man to be on his best behavior, and none to act in any way that could disgrace his nation or his King." All nodded assent.  
  
Within two hours they were dropping anchor in the bay of Galma City. After a watch was set up, King Gale, the children, Brindle, and about two dozen others marched down the gangplank. The Duke of Galma, whose name was Willem, was there to meet them with an entourage of his own, dressed in blue and green with the sign of the sea dragon.  
  
He bowed to King Gale, who raised him and took his hands as was normal for a king to do to a vassal. However, Gale saw from the look on his kinsman's face that all was not right.  
  
"Greetings, your Majesty, your subjects on Galma welcome you."  
  
"Your face says there are problems in your land, your Grace. Pray tell what they are?"  
  
As they began to process to the castle, the Duke said, "The problem is not with the people themselves or with any outside problem, you understand. Among the barons on this island who owe allegiance to me are two of my cousins. I have been approached five times in the past month with complaints of excessively high taxes by these two barons, but both refuse to give an accounting. To ignore the issue would be to invite a revolt by the people, but to press the issue with these two barons could plunge this nation into civil war, which we can ill afford at this point. However, since they pay allegiance to me and I to you..."  
  
"You would like me to mediate this conflict, then?"  
  
"If your Majesty would be so kind."  
  
"Very well. But understand my following here is somewhat limited. If things should go badly it is your forces and you who will have to deal with this failure."  
  
"It is understood, your Majesty."  
  
"Very well." He turned to one of his officers. "Take a summons to the barons Lairn and Darus, informing them that their lawful lord the Duke of Galma and his lawful lord the King of Narnia command their presence two days hence..."  
  
"On the fields of Vimwirt, Sire. There is less of a chance for treachery there," finished the Duke.  
  
"Make it so."  
  
CHAPTER 4  
  
A THRONE UPHELD  
  
It took the messengers a day to reach the accused lords, who were somewhat surprised to hear that the King of Narnia had come to demand they account for their actions, but both sent back word that they would attend. The morning of the second day, King Gale ordered every knight and man-at-arms and sailor who could be spared into full armor and paraded them at the docks. He ordered horses for himself and his officers, which the Duke gladly provided. He then donned his robe of state, a cassock of sorts in green and red with the motif of the lion stitched in gold thread around the cuffs and collar which opened in front to show his mail shirt, and secured it at the waist with his golden sword belt. He then opened a cabinet and took out the Heart of Narnia.  
  
This was a diadem in the form of a golden circlet with a ruby about the size of a pocket watch over the brows, which had been mined by the Dwarfs and presented to his grandfather, who had given it its name and set it into this circlet for the king to wear when it was necessary to appear as king, but without the need to take the ancient crown of King Frank (which was thicker, also set with rubies, and rising in three points in front) to a place where it might get lost or stolen or damaged. Settling this diadem on his brow, with which he looked much more kingly, he advanced down the gangplank to meet his men.  
  
"All hail the King of Narnia!" yelled his officers as he mounted his horse and raised his hand to acknowledge the cheers. James and Gwyneth joined in the cheers, but they were understandably nervous as to what might happen. And then King Gale ordered his two standard-bearers, one with the lion in red and the other in gold, to the front of the line, and the trumpet was sounded, and they marched up to the city. The Duke was there with a contingent of his own men, and they raised their spears and hailed their suzerain. A goodly number of the local people came out to see what was going on, and of course this led to more yelling, cheering, and following as they paraded through the city and on to the Field of Vimwirt.  
  
There the two lords were waiting, each with two hundred men, for they only half believed that the king had really come, and even if he had, they hoped to put on the best show that they were not intimidated by his name. They bore the same arms as the Duke, though Lairn bore a red bent across his and Darus a white jagged line called in heraldry a label.  
  
Gale ordered a pavilion pitched and commanded that all of the lords come in, with only a half-dozen guards allowed for each, him included, though James and Gwyneth followed in their train. He set up a table and chairs and took his seat.  
  
"His Majesty Gale, by blood and by election King of Narnia, Lord of Cair Paravel, etc., commands that the barons Lairn and Darus, owing allegiance to his grace Willem, Duke of Galma and vassal to his Majesty, give an accounting of their activities of the past year," stated the herald.  
  
Both lords presented scrolls that purported to show taxes in and expenditures out in what appeared to be reasonable amounts, however, then came the Duke's questions.  
  
"How do you respond to the accusation that you have collected 20 lions each month in revenue when the prescribed sum is 12?"  
  
"The peasants will always lie to keep as much as they can. There is a need for contingencies to be planned for. What if a dam breaks? What if the crops do not do as well as was planned for? Will your Majesty or your Grace step in?"  
  
"I'd hardly call the commissioning of a tapestry of woven silk a contingency, Lairn. And you, Darus, is that stable of black Calormene horses you acquired last month a contingency as well?"  
  
So it went for about another twenty minutes. Gale rose up and said "I have heard enough. It is obvious to me what has been going on here, and it is my ruling that..." But he never finished the sentence.  
  
Brindle, who had been walking about unnoticed by all, to make certain that no one did anything while no one else was looking, happened to see behind the shields of the barons' guards and happened to notice they held behind them small crossbows, of the type that could be used with one hand. What was more, they were slowly starting to turn their shields to have a clear field of fire....  
  
"Mroww! Treachery! 'Ware arrows!" yelled Brindle as he saw fingers whiten squeezing triggers.  
  
Gale, Willem, and the others threw themselves to the ground just in time to avoid the small but heavy and deadly darts that passed through where their faces had been just a second before. Gale's sword was out before he hit the ground, as was the Duke's.  
  
"Mediation indeed!" sneered Gale to the Duke. "Forward!" All jumped to their feet as soon as they could and rushed the treacherous lords and their men, who readied themselves to fight. As he had been trained, James drew his sword and advanced with the other men-at-arms. Gwyneth fell back, as archers do. Twang, went her bowstring as she fired her first shot, catching one of the lords' men directly in the face and sending him collapsing.  
  
The fight quickly spilled out of the pavilion and the other soldiers present made for it to get involved also. James saw King Gale and Duke Willem fighting side by side as he was set upon by one of Lairn's men, a brawny fellow armed with a broadsword. Doing his best to remember his training, he ducked below the first slash and struck up as best he could. Three strokes later, and possibly by a bit of beginner's luck, the enemy clutched at his leg and fell, bleeding more than James would have thought possible.  
  
In the center, Gale was quickly at it hand-to-hand with Lairn, while Willem fought his way through to engage Darus. Neither of them was a poor swordsman, but Gale was the better trained, and he understood the urgency of ending this fight as quickly as possible before those outside got involved. Pressing forward with his shield, he caught the baron in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Before Lairn could recover, he drove his sword into his throat, leaving him to crumple in a heap of dead flesh and ruined finery. At the same time Willem made a sudden twist and Darus' sword flew from his grasp.  
  
"Yield!" yelled Willem, pressing his sword to Darus' throat. Darus was no fool, and did so.  
  
Gale yelled out "Lairn is dead, and Darus is vanquished! If you would not be taken for a traitor, halt!" The yell seemed to have the desired effect, as the retainers of the two lords halted where they stood, before things could erupt into a full-scale battle.  
  
"Homage to Willem, the rightful duke!" came the yell, and all present knelt.  
  
Two days later, the Seeker, re-provisioned and re-watered, was ready to put to sea again. Willem thanked King Gale for his aid, and invited him to return soon and not to be a stranger in his court. Gale graciously accepted the thanks, and promised he would be back, but for now he had a mission to complete. So they put eastward the morning of the third day after, into the rising sun.  
  
CHAPTER 5  
  
HEAVE TO!  
  
The fair weather lasted for two days, during which the ship's company kept things running smoothly and quietly. On the evening of the second fair day Gwyneth was standing by the rail off-duty when a glimmer of silver in the water caught her eyes. She watched as a silvery shape, then several more, came to the surface. Then the first broke the surface and she saw the beak and the tail and knew them for what they were: dolphins. There were more of them than she'd seen in any aquarium or show, though, easily two dozen and maybe more, calling to each other in high, musical sounds. They followed alongside the ship and began to move in and out among each other, in what almost seemed to be a dance of sorts, now at the surface, now below, now leaping over each other, now swimming beneath. James and Esprian joined her, the latter with a mysterious smile.  
  
"It's a sign of good fortune when the dolphins dance for you," said the captain, as he lit his pipe. "My father's father told me of the day he saw the dance off Cair Paravel, right before His Majesty's grandsire found the scroll that ended the Gray Sorceress' power. There are great things to come, I think," he said, blowing out a great smoke-ring that floated out of sight without breaking.  
  
The next day the sea grew misty, however, and though there was neither wind nor high water, the rain fell in quiet sheets, making progress quite slow. James and Gwyneth played chess and visited with both Esprian and Gale, who told them of both recent events and of the earliest days, when Aslan, the great lion, had called Narnia into being out of darkness, and given the gift of speech to its animals, and brought his ancestor Frank into this world to become Narnia's first king. After that had come eight more kings including himself, and Frank's second son had become King of Archenland to the south, and other sons and sons of sons had become other kings in other lands. Those lands had been peaceful for the most part, and full of things bright and beautiful: Balin the Wise, the sage king who could settle even the most difficult argument and leave all parties satisfied, Elissa the queen, whose singing voice was such that flocks of songbirds followed her wherever she went, and other wonders. However, always there had been dangers, without the nation if not always within: giants in the north, dragons from the mountains, the Gray Sorceress who his grandfather had defeated, the Blue Enchantress, who had promised prosperity and brought division, and the Gold Lady, who had tried to seduce King Dahl of Archenland and set Narnia and Archenland at each other's throats. But the grimmest story of all was that which came after that of the Blue Enchantress, for even after King Andrew had exposed her lies and ended her life with his sword, there had been those who clove to her false promise. Some had gone west, and none knew what had become of them. Others had gone south, into the lands beyond the great desert, and they might have died out in those forsaken lands, but for one dreadful thing.  
  
On an island between two rivers, as they searched for whatever they could find to sustain themselves, in a place where no human foot had trod, amidst green fire the likes of which no world should ever see, they found a something they could worship, and a reason for existence: Tash. And around the worship of Tash they had built the nation of Calormen, which to this day stood at cross-purposes with Narnia. Gwyneth and James shuddered at this story, for Tash, a thing with four arms and the head of a vulture that demanded human sacrifice, was the stuff of their nightmares, and the thought of a whole nation serving a nightmare was horrific.  
  
The next morning dawned clear, however, and the stories faded into memory. By noon they were within sight of another island, which James and Gwyneth were told was called Terebinthia, but what was that wreath of mist? As they drew closer to the island it became evident that it was not mist but smoke, and that it rose from a city or near to one, and when ships with long lateen sails became visible near the city and a flash of fire appeared briefly in the air, Lord Esprian suddenly yelled out in a sharp voice, "To arms! To arms! Man all oars, hang out all the shields, catapults to the ready!"  
  
As the crew leapt for their weapons, King Gale came out on deck. "What news?"  
  
For answer, Esprian pointed. "Your majesty, the city appears to be under attack. I think they are Calormenes."  
  
The king shaded his eyes for a moment. "So they are. I'd recognize that flag anywhere. Forward then, and let's take them in the rear."  
  
"Your majesty, is that quite fair?" asked James.  
  
"If they entered a battle without first posting a lookout to alert them to the approach of other forces, then that is their accountability," said the king tersely. "Forward!" The stern way in which he said the first words let James know that now was not the time for questions. James' hand tightened on his sword as the archers swept to the gunwales and the catapults were loaded with stones the size of barrels and cranked to the ready. Now they could see the situation.  
  
The city was built around a harbor with an opening only about twice the width of the Seeker, presumably to prevent unfriendly ships from slipping in. Outside five evil-looking ships with hulls and lateen sails black as pitch maneuvered, one shutting the entrance with its length, while the others fired their catapults into the harbor. Within, three armored vessels with three banks of oars each bobbed impatiently, for they had very little room to maneuver. Presumably these were the city's guardians, but unless and until they could advance and engage the black ships, their actions were severely restricted. James and Gwyneth shuddered when they saw the banner of the black ships, a sickly orange with the horrifying figure of Tash in black upon it.  
  
Manning all his oars, Lord Esprian drove straight for the ship blocking the harbor, if they could eliminate that, the harbor galleys might be able to engage the Calormenes, and their numbers might turn the tide. Closer, and closer they were, all swords out, all missiles to the ready. Now they could see the enemy, dark-faced and bearded, most of them wearing turbans, armed with sinister-looking recurved bows and cruel curved swords. Now the enemy had the first inkling they were there.  
  
"Ware arrows!" came the shout, as all ducked down behind the shields and pulled their helms over their faces. The Calormene arrows hissed over their heads at alarming speed, hit the shields and bounded back, or stuck quivering in the bulwarks. The Calormene artillery crews began to swing their weapons around to bear on this new enemy, but it was too late. The distance between the ships closed to fifty feet, then twenty, then ten, and with a loud cracking and splintering like twenty trees falling all at once, the Seeker's ram drove deep into the enemy's side.  
  
"With me!" yelled King Gale as he leaped over the rail, sword in hand, Lorian, Arlian, James, and thirty men-at-arms followed. Now James got his first good look at the enemy, and between their heavy beards, hooked noses, and thick lips, they looked like every pirate and villain he'd read about in his spare time, but there was no time to dwell on that, as he ducked under a scimitar blow and plunged his sword into the enemy's groin. Elsewhere, Lorian laid all about him with his great double-bladed battleaxe, and heads and limbs bounced from his blows. King Gale hacked his way through to the knot of Calormenes in black uniforms on the aft deck, followed by Lorian and four others. Gale drove his blade into the stomach of one, Lorian hacked off the Calormene captain's head, and the rest fell pierced by the weapons of their compatriots.  
  
They swept back to the Seeker, which was by now sorely pressed on all sides by the other Calormenes, and the rowers backed water as quickly as they were able. Gwyneth and the archers were shooting as hard as they were able, and thankfully the Calormenes had to hold their catapult fire for fear of hitting friend as much as foe. The Seeker managed to pull free from its prey, and it broke in half and disappeared. The ships in the harbor advanced. As the flagship hove closer, what almost appeared to be a shooting star leaped from its forecastle, hitting the bow of one of the other Calormene ships directly. The black ship erupted into flames shooting ten feet high and more, and that was the end of it. Another blast from the second ship in line took out another Calormene. Now it was ship to ship and hand to hand, and the fight became one of attrition as the three fresh Terebinthian ships joined the battle. Within an hour the fourth Calormene's side was stove in by the rams of the Seeker and one of her new allies, and the fifth was pinioned between the rocks and the two other Terebinthinans, where it surrendered. Tash's banner was lowered, and the crew was disembarked and sent ashore.  
  
Finally the Seeker hove to alongside the Terebinthian flagship, and Gale raised his speaking trumpet to his lips. "Ahoy! This is Gale, the king of Narnia. May we enter the harbor and make repairs?"  
  
The captain of the other vessel responded, "This is Alexius, strategos of the harbor. Certainly, and I think our king may want to speak with you as well. And your Majesty, thank you very much. But for your timely aid our capital might be ashes."  
  
CHAPTER 6  
  
WARNINGS AND DANGERS  
  
The Seeker followed the Terebinthian ships into their harbor, and anchored at a splendid set of glossy oaken docks. All disembarked, and James and Gwyneth got their first good look at the Terebinthians. They wore tall, conical helms and armor of overlapping metal scales, covered with long cloaks of dark blue, but otherwise resembled the Narnians. Now approaching the docks came other Terebinthians who had not been in the battle, led by one whose blue cloak was edged and heavily decorated with gold, and on his helm there was a crown.  
  
"Greetings in the Lion's name," said the Terebinthian king's herald. "Heraclius, King of Terebinthia, Lord of the Harbor, High Admiral of All Fleets, etc., welcomes those who aided him this day."  
  
Gale bowed, as is normal for a visiting king to do to the king he is visiting. "Greetings in the Lion's name as well. Gale, King of Narnia, thanks the King of Terebinthia for his anticipated hospitality."  
  
Heraclius dropped his formal manner and took Gale's hand. "I can't thank you enough. Had you not arrived when you did, I do not know what would have happened. Name any reward you wish, and if it is within my power to give, it shall be yours."  
  
"No reward is necessary. We came to your aid because it was the right thing to do, not for material gain. But we certainly do need fresh supplies, and whatever information you can provide as to what lies east of here."  
  
That evening Heraclius bade Gale and his companions to a feast in the palace above his capital. It was grand fare, thick chowders, fresh vegetables, flounder, salmon, trout, swordfish, lobster stuffed with fresh cheese and cream sauce, unusually spiced bread, and honeyed pastries, all of it washed down with thick wine like that of Archenland, well mixed with water.  
  
As they ate, James and Gwyneth listened to what was said. Heraclius spoke out clearly to Gale and Esprian. "East of these islands it is approximately a week's unmolested sail to the Seven Isles, as you may know. The area is plied by trade ships and the occasional pirate ship, as naval patrols are somewhat sparse. I would avoid the northern current, as it is known to be haunted by both the Scylla and the Leviathan, who can ruin any size ship, and it is also best to avoid the warmer southern current, as there is an island inhabited by the Sirens."  
  
"What are these creatures?"  
  
"Scylla and Leviathan are both sea monsters quite a bit larger than your ship. The Leviathan is a very large sea serpent, approximately five times the length of the harbor, quite capable of turning any ship over. Scylla is odder still. From her waist up she is a gigantic woman, but where her head should be sprout the bodies of six huge snakes. Below the waist she is covered with scales, and quite honestly I don't care to know what lies beneath. The sirens I can't really speak to, as none of our people have gotten close enough to get details. The only thing we can tell you for certain is that they have voices the likes of which none in this world or most others have ever heard, and those who hear them can do nothing but pay attention to those voices, till their ship is driven upon the rocks or ashore. My advice to you, keep to the middle path, and keep the morning star at your prow, and you should reach your destination without a great deal of trouble."  
  
"Do you know what lies beyond the Seven Isles?"  
  
"Unfortunately, no. Our ships seldom go much farther east than that. I am aware there are other lands to the east, since goods from farther east do appear in some of the markets our traders go to, but as to locations or forces or dispositions, I really can't tell you much. Some captains talk of islands inhabited by winged folk, or that rise and fall with the phases of the moon, or of an island that is on the back of a giant sea turtle. Some say you can reach Aslan's country if you sail far enough to the east."  
  
"Your thoughts on these last things mentioned?" said King Gale.  
  
"This world is full of things both mundane and grand, you know that, but I am not inclined to believe in simple rumors brought back by those too eager to find the wondrous or the terrible. When I see the winged folk in flight, see the island that sinks and rises do so, or set foot on the island on the back of a sea turtle, or someone brings me reliable proof of these things, then I'll believe. Until then, there are matters enough at hand to hold my attention."  
  
"Do you really think we can reach Aslan's country if we sail far enough east?" asked Gwyneth.  
  
"Little lady, I am not certain how to answer that. Though I have been taught all the stories, I have never seen Aslan, nor has he been seen in these lands or any I have visited, at least not in living memory. Whether he is a real physical being or merely an ideal given the form of a lion, I cannot say for certain. We are taught that he comes from out of the east, but whether that literally means he comes from a real, physical place you can get to by sailing to the east of here, or whether that is again symbolic, is not for me to say. Again, there are matters here that I can't simply put aside, for to do so would be a breach of duty. Ships and men are not to be risked lightly searching for something that might or might not be there, so it is for that reason that I can only say I cannot answer yes or no for certain."  
  
"What was that weapon you used to destroy those ships so easily?" asked James.  
  
"Ah," said Heraclius, "Now that I can answer with certainty. Most call it Terebinthian fire. It's this nation's ultimate weapon against enemy ships. Once it strikes its target, it burns and cannot be extinguished. Even under water it continues to burn."  
  
"What's in it?"  
  
"Now, now. We can't give away our secret, lest it be used against us. But, we will give you eight barrels of the stuff, more than enough to carry you to the end of your journey, wherever that might be."  
  
Two days later, the Seeker, re-provisioned, repaired, and loaded with Terebinthian fire, put out to sea once more. Within a day the sky turned slate gray and then black, and an extremely violent wind blew out of the north. The rain began to fall in driving sheets, and the sea pitched and rolled into waves more than twenty feet high. They battened down the hatches and did their best to ride out the storm. Still, there is only so much one can so with a sailing ship of not even a thousand tons against violent weather of this magnitude. Within twelve hours there was a loud crack, and one half of the main mast fell to the deck, carrying one of the sails with it. No one was crushed, thankfully, but it was most frightening. King Gale and Lorian seized the fallen mast with their own hands and heaved it overboard, lest it cause the ship to overturn, after which every soul threw himself back into his work.  
  
The third day after the arrival of the storm dawned almost eerily calm and cloudless. They had weathered the storm without the loss of any lives and no greater damage than that to the mainmast and the loss of one of the water casks, which was holed. None present would have felt anything but relief, but for the fact that the morning star was not at their prow. In fact it was very far off on the port side. This left everyone quite nervous, for though they were far from the seas of the horrifying monsters Heraclius had described, they remembered his warning about the sirens.  
  
Gale ordered the men to be ready to fight and all the sharpest lookouts to the forward top while the rowers headed the ship back to the east. Gwyneth stood by James and Gale and held her bow nervously. Then came the sound they dreaded. Though it was indescribably sweet, it gave everyone that feeling in their stomach that you get when you get bad news and it is as bad as it can be. Although it was wordless, the melody said "come, come." No one could help themselves, and the Seeker turned from the morning star and drifted lazily south. It was no more than a few moments before gray shores became visible, then sharp points of rock before them. The song grew louder and sweeter, till most felt they might break from the music. Then they had their first glimpse of figures on the shore. The pitching and rolling did not allow them a clear view, but white forms and waves of black hair were visible, yet something about the clawlike hands, the too-sinuous movement, was not quite right.  
  
Closer and closer they sailed, and in another moment they would be dashed to pieces on the rocks. However, Gwyneth and Brindle did not find themselves under the spell that seemed to hold the rest. Reaching to the king's belt, Gwyneth took hold of his horn, and blew as loud as she could. It seemed to jolt those around them as though from sleep.  
  
"What, what are we doing?" shouted Gale. He seized his horn and blew loudly again. Brindle seized a trumpet from below and sounded it, drowning the seductive song yet more. At this the trumpeters and kettledrummer on deck were also jolted from the reverie they had slipped into, and began to play their instruments as loudly as they could, louder and louder, till the song was drowned out in their martial strains.  
  
"Lorian, bring us about!" shouted the captain. "Row! Row for your lives!"  
  
They swung about and every man pulled at his oar, till the song came no more across the water, and their bows were pointed once more into the rising sun.  
  
CHAPTER 7  
  
THE TERROR FROM BELOW  
  
After the near-encounter with the sirens there were no further strange encounters for two more days. The Seeker progressed nicely before a fair breeze, and the morning star stayed directly before the prow. With any luck they thought they would find themselves in the Seven Isles soon. However, on the morning of the third day they found themselves becalmed. The crew did their best to row, slowly and steadily to keep progress, while James, Gwyneth, and a few of the officers not on duty fished over the side. Initially they had few nibbles, but towards the afternoon they dropped their hooks into what appeared to be a very large school of huge ocean salmon. No fewer than forty were caught and hauled aboard in the space of half an hour, and half of these were cheerfully carried down to the galley to be cleaned and smoked, while half would be that night's dinner, with plenty of butter from the tubs that King Heraclius had given them.  
  
It never occurred to anyone to wonder where all of these salmon had come from, nor why there were so many headed in the same direction at once. As they hauled the last few below James shouted "Look!" and pointed astern.  
  
"Hello, what might that darkness be?" asked Gale.  
  
"Whatever it is, it's something moving," said Esprian  
  
"Worse," said Lorian, "It's moving a good bit faster than we can."  
  
"And what are those lights?" asked Gwyneth.  
  
Now all held their breath and waited nervously, for the only thing most fear more than something terrible is something unknown, and whatever this something was it had them in its power, whatever that power might be.  
  
Now the darkness, a good bit longer than the ship, was parallel too it, and now the two green lights that Gwyneth had seen were clearly visible to all. Arrows were nocked and crossbows cranked to the ready, to face whatever might emerge.  
  
Suddenly the sea erupted in a huge splash, and a grayish-brown tentacle as thick as Gwyneth's waist shot up and over the deck, wrapping itself around the entire beam. Then another, and then two more that did not wrap around the ship but simply wriggled aloft as if waiting for the right moment to pounce. The rows of slime-covered, pinkish suckers that lined them were repulsive enough, together with their horrible smell (like your mother's kitchen cleaning fluid, only twice as strong) but what emerged from the sea next drew shouts of horror from most and filled Gwyneth which such revulsion that she cried out and nearly fainted.  
  
A grayish-brown hump emerged, and two eyes, glowing green and staring, opened in it. Behind that came a shapeless body of the same color, and below that emerged a horrible mouth, like a parrot's beak but ten times as large, ringed by the tentacles, snapping and working, eager for the food before it. But more than anything, the staring eyes of the Kraken (for that was what it was) and what mind might be behind them made everyone shudder.  
  
"Loose arrows! Shoot! Shoot at will!" yelled Esprian, and everyone did just that, but the arrows did nothing but stick in the Kraken's soft flesh as they might in thick jam, where they troubled it no more than so many sewing needles.  
  
"Hand to hand!" shouted Lorian, hefting his dwarf-forged axe and running for the tentacle nearest him. With a loud shout he brought his weapon down and cut the wriggling arm in half with two strokes. Everyone drew their swords and axes and fell to hacking at the tentacles. However, the Kraken had a surprise in store. Quick as lighting, two whips, thinner than the tentacles but much longer, shot out to bowl most of the resisters over. One wrapped Gale in its grasp and yanked him ten feet up from the deck, pinioning his sword arm to his side. Lorian swung his axe and sliced through the whip with a loud snap, dropping his king back to the deck. Now the Kraken showed its strength in an earnest attempt to pull the ship down. The Seeker lurched crazily to port as everyone fell to the deck and slid toward the port rail, mostly dropping whatever they were holding. Worse yet, the timbers started to groan and crack under the strain of the Kraken's tentacles. In another moment the ship would be on its side, the sea would pour in, and they'd all be food for this giant mollusk.  
  
Gwyneth looked about for anything that might defeat this horror. Then she remembered the barrels of Terebinthian fire, two of which lay next to the starboard rail. With a desperate lunge, she pulled the chock out from under one, sending it rolling across the deck, where it bounced over the rail and directly into the eyes of the Kraken, where it split and ignited! Fiery liquid sprayed all about, most of it on the Kraken's horrible head. With a terrifying chittering scream the Kraken released its hold on the Seeker and belched forth a cloud of foul-smelling black ink, blinding everyone.  
  
When they finally got the ink out of their eyes and could see again, the Kraken had vanished back into the depths, leaving only the portion of tentacle that Lorian had cut off as evidence it was ever there. "Thank Aslan," breathed King Gale, as they dumped the tentacle over the side, lest it rot and stink up the ship.  
  
Examining the Seeker, they found the timbers strained and cracked around the waist of the ship. They could make sail, but not under any great speed. Still, given that they could just as easily be at the bottom of the sea or food for the Kraken, all counted themselves fortunate.  
  
Hoisting half the sails they could, they continued eastward, all praying that the timbers would hold till they reached land.  
  
CHAPTER 8  
  
THE SEVEN ISLES  
  
On the third morning following the battle with the Kraken, land was spotted off the port bow, and they knew they were seeing first of the Seven Isles, Dral, with its forbidding cliffs of gray rock, and beyond that the slopes of its brethren Brenn and Muil, with the town of Redhaven visible on the former. Hoisting the king's banner to the foremast, they limped into the harbor, where they found themselves challenged by cutters that flew a banner bearing a seven-pointed star.  
  
"Who goes there?" came the shout.  
  
"The King of Narnia calls upon his kinsman the King of the Seven Isles," called back Esprian. That was true enough, for one of Gale's ancestors had been married to the daughter of the King of the Isles of that time. However, that marriage had ended with that princess' unfortunate death at the hands of border raiders, and it had been some time since there had been regular contact between the two nations.  
  
The commander of the harbor patrol ships directed them to a nearby dock. After they moored, several officials in tartan cloaks approached them and curtly asked them their business. After Esprian and Lorian explained, the officials told them they had three days to make the necessary repairs, at their own expense, but they would then have to move on, as was the rule in this nation.  
  
While Esprian and some of the other officers went to the market to see about buying the necessary supplies and hiring laborers, Gale decided to see about making contact with the king of the Isles, as he was not impressed with the cold reception he had received. Wrapping himself in his sea-cloak and hood, he descended the gangplank with James and Gwyneth and made for the castle above the town. Lorian had wanted to accompany them in case things became dangerous, but Gale had told him to stand watch with the ship instead, fearing inwardly that his fiery temper might lead to trouble if they were treated with discourtesy.  
  
The town was no different than most others in those parts. Buildings were fairly clean, shops appeared to be doing a decent business, and the streets were not too narrow. Apart from their somewhat harsh-sounding accents and prevalence of plaid tartan, they appeared not to be much different than the Narnians. Approaching the castle, they found the gate shut and guards in the blue, green and white royal tartan armed with two- handed swords barring the way. Snapping to attention, they demanded the identity of those who approached.  
  
"The King of Narnia's ambassador and his servants seek an audience with your King, only briefly," said Gale from out of his hood. "We will take only a very little of his time."  
  
One of the guards went in through the door to the side of the gate. Emerging a few minutes later, he stated, "Very well, his Majesty will see you for a few minutes but no more. Your servants may enter, they do not look dangerous (James and Gwyneth were not armed)." The gate was opened, and they entered. The great hall of the castle was mostly empty save two guards, a few quiet courtiers, and the throne. The King of the Seven Isles was obviously older than Gale, his brown hair streaked with gray beneath his golden crown set with emeralds, but his body was still strong beneath his tartan cloak woven with threads of gold.  
  
"Greetings, ambassador. I cannot see you for long, but do tell me what tidings the King of Narnia sends."  
  
"Gale bowed for a moment, them said "The King of Narnia says that the courtesy of your harbor is not what it could be, from his own experience." He threw back his cloak, revealing his lion surcoat, and cast back his hood, revealing the Heart of Narnia on his brow. "I am King Gale, my great- grandsire was the son of Lissia, princess of these Isles."  
  
The king was somewhat taken aback. "What brings you to call on me yourself?"  
  
Gale explained at some length as to what they had experienced, ending with "The damage to my ship is likely to require more than three days to repair. Although I certainly do not object to paying fair rates for labor and material, I think we are entitled to somewhat more courtesy than we have received so far."  
  
"Your nation has done very little in my time for mine. I do not see why I should extend you any more courtesy than I give to others, whoever's blood may flow in your veins."  
  
"But father," came a voice, "If they really have suffered these travails, should we not grant them the aid they need?" The speaker moved into the light of the king's dais, revealing herself as a slender young woman in a long green dress. Her hair was thick and black, held in place only by a thin circlet of gold with three green gems that glittered like her eyes.  
  
"You forget your place, Cordelia. This man may fly the royal standard of Narnia and display the tokens of the king, but they are not the tokens or standard of this nation. If he chooses to come here, his issues are his affair, and we will extend him no more than we extend others."  
  
"What if he were to aid us?"  
  
At this point Gale decided not to wait while these two people talked about him as though he were not present, and interjected "What service may I perform?"  
  
The king gestured to Cordelia to go on. "My younger sister lies ill from the sting of a bay whip (a form of very poisonous stingray found in that world). The physics and chirurgeons have told us that the only thing that might cure her is the horn of a unicorn. There are unicorns on Ran, but none of our hunters have been able to catch one. If you are wiser in the ways of woodcraft, perhaps you can succeed where we have failed."  
  
Seeing that this might be their only chance at winning things over here, and taken by Cordelia's appearance, Gale said "Very well. Give us the means to get there and a map of the island and we will try."  
  
These were provided, and within a two hours several of the king's men were rowing Gale, James, Gwyneth, Brindle, Lorian, Thurian, and a contingent of archers over to the island of Ran, which was almost unpopulated and cloaked in virgin forest. Gale had been reluctant to hunt the unicorn, as those in Narnia could talk and were in fact allies of the human population, but the king (whose name was revealed to be Donalbain) assured him that the unicorns in the islands were not intelligent and could be slain as one might any dumb deer.  
  
CHAPTER 9  
  
THE HUNT FOR A CURE  
  
Stepping ashore, they found the sand ended almost immediately, leading directly into thick deciduous trees, unmarked by any trail or path, but without large amounts of undergrowth to hinder progress, thankfully. Examining the map he'd been given, Gale pointed right. "If I read this right, the trees are less thick that way." A slow walk through gnarled trunks of oak and ash brought them finally into a clearing about 100 feet across, where they set up their tents and built a fire pit, though only a small fire, enough to boil water. Spreading out in the immediate vicinity, they gathered roots and herbs similar to spinach. Pounding up some hard biscuit from the ship's stores for thickening and throwing some salt in, they made a stew. Sitting down around the fire, they pored over the map and made their plans for the morrow's hunt.  
  
The island had three streams that produced several pools and two small lakes. Logically, explained Thurian, the unicorns must come to one or more of these places to drink. Depending on how many unicorns there were, they could search for days and never run into any. It therefore made more sense to wait in ambush where the unicorns were more likely to come to, and catch them.  
  
The next day they rose before dawn, ate what was left of the stew, then set out for the nearest of the pools. There the main party hid in the undergrowth, while Brindle hid a little way off in the direction he thought most likely for unicorns to come from. Picket archers were posted to shoot any prey that attempted to flee. Then they waited.  
  
The hours passed and the day grew warm. But though they sweated and grew uncomfortable they kept silent. Then Brindle, whose sensitive nose could detect the approach of anything long before the eyes or ears of the humans, raised his paw in signal. Gale gave a sparrow-like whistle and arrows were nocked and readied. A minute after that, a single unicorn, impossibly white with mane and tail of gold and spiral horn of indigo and silver, came walking slowly towards the water. Not once did it stop, or raise its head, or give any indication that it thought anything was amiss. All bent their bows and made ready to shoot, as the unicorn reached the edge of the water and bent down to drink.  
  
"Now!" shouted Gale, leaping to his feet. All leaped up and loosed their arrows in a second. Any other enemy would have been dead, but, in a display of amazing speed, the unicorn swept out of the path of the arrows and dashed off westward in a gallop that took it out of sight in an instant. The western sentries' arrows thudded uselessly into the trunks of nearby trees.  
  
All looked at each other helplessly. There was nothing they could do to catch any creature that moved that quickly, indeed, they could search the whole island and never get close enough to a unicorn to catch it or kill it.  
  
"I suppose there is nothing we can do but return to Redhaven and make what repairs we can in the time that remains," said Thurian.  
  
"Mrowww, indeed," said Brindle "Our time will be up the day after tomorrow."  
  
"I'm not one to give up easily, but I don't see what other choice we have," said King Gale, though the disgust in his voice was evident.  
  
Then Gwyneth suggested, "Well, I have an idea that MIGHT work. I read that unicorns are attracted to young girls and will come put their heads in our laps if we don't appear threatening. If I sit under a tree maybe I can attract one."  
  
Some scoffed, but King Gale said, "Well, we can't do any worse with this tactic than we have with conventional hunting. Make a net and we'll set ourselves up in the branches while Gwyneth plays the part of the living bait. If this fails, though, I think we'll have to call this a loss."  
  
Gale and his men made a net from the ropes they carried and climbed up out f sight among the leaves while Gwyneth removed her armor, combed out her hair, and plucked several flowers. She then sat under a large oak tree and began to braid the flowers together into a garland, looking about with wide eyes, smiling innocently and humming snatches of English folk songs her mother had sung at the piano.  
  
Surprisingly, the same unicorn that had fled the pool came out of the trees and walked towards Gwyneth. She grew nervous, knowing this beast could pin her to the tree easily, but continued to braid the garland, telling herself this was for Cordelia's sister. Closer and closer the unicorn came, until finally it knelt, just like a trained charger of the Life Guards, and meekly laid its head in Gwyneth's lap. It was soft as silk and warmer than the embrace of a person. She stroked its silky mane and warm coat, but inwardly gritted her teeth at what she knew was coming next.  
  
With a loud shout Gale and his men cast the net, achieving a perfect bulls-eye, then leaped down from the trees to surround their quarry on all sides. There was no escape now, the unicorn was so tangled in the net that running was not possible, and its struggles only made it more tangled.  
  
With regret, King Gale raised his spear to deliver what he hoped would be one fatal thrust, to minimize the unicorn's suffering, but as he did so, his quarry spoke.  
  
"Please make it swift! You've caught me fairly, I ask only a quick death."  
  
Horrified, Gale dropped the spear. Killing a witless beast was one thing, but slaying a talking unicorn was the same as murdering one of his own subjects. Even to save the life of another, such an act was not something he could commit.  
  
"Remove the net," he ordered. His men did so, and the unicorn clambered to its feet. "I must apologize. I was led to believe that the unicorns on this island were not able to speak."  
  
"No one has ever bothered to try to speak to us," said the unicorn. "Yet we can talk, if there is something to say. Why do you come here to hunt us?"  
  
They explained the situation, and the unicorn said, "You do not come on a fool's mission. Our horns can cure the sting of a bay whip and many other problems besides, though not always. I do not wish this innocent person to die from this mishap." Bowing its head, it said, "Take your dagger and chip away a thumbnail-sized flake from the side of the horn. Oh, don't worry, the outer layer is quite dead, and it causes me no pain."  
  
Gale took his dagger out and gingerly cut along the side of the unicorn's horn as he would if he were cutting fine cheese, removing a mica- thin slice of horn that sparkled in the sunlight. "Place this beneath the tongue of the injured person. It will work swiftly or not at all."  
  
"We thank you for your aid, Sir Unicorn."  
  
"Not at all. We are willing to share our ability to heal, if only others would ask." With that, the unicorn struck off again at a gallop, and was out of sight in a minute.  
  
Striking camp, they quickly returned across the channel to Redhaven and the castle. King Donalbain ushered them without delay up the stairs from the throne room and into the chambers of his daughter Margaret, no older than Gwyneth, who lay on her bed, pale and still, her red ringlets spilling across the white pillow untidily.  
  
"I can promise nothing, but we will try," said Gale as he drew out the precious chip of horn and placed it beneath Margaret's tongue. "Bear in mind, if it works, it works quickly."  
  
A long moment passed, as both kings stood silently and Margaret's sister Cordelia clasped and shook her hands as if to will her sister back to health. Margaret's eyelids fluttered, then slowly opened, revealing her clear green eyes, and the color suddenly started to return to her face. Sitting up as she might after a good night's sleep, she yawned, stretched and said, "Oh! Father, how late have I slept? Who are your friends? Cordelia, why are you crying?"  
  
His face breaking into a broad smile, King Donalbain answered, "You have slept much longer than you think, dearest, in fact you almost slept so long you would never have awoken. My friends here are those who have brought me the means to wake you, and your sister is crying not because she is sad, I think, but because she is happy to see you awake."  
  
"Yes, oh yes," said Cordelia. "Margaret, never frighten us like this again!" She bent and wrapped her younger sister in a very tight hug, which, after a moment, Margaret returned. The kings turned to go, but Cordelia rose up and embraced King Gale as well. "Thank you, your Majesty, for saving my sister." Gale returned the embrace as gently as he could.  
  
That evening King Donalbain bade them all to a feast, and told them they would certainly have all the time and material they needed to make their repairs. In fact over the next week the Seeker was brought into drydock emptied, and examined by the Isles' best shipbuilders. A new mast was raised, with a sail of sturdiest silk, and all the timbers damaged in the fight with the Kraken were removed and replaced anew. Gale revealed to Donalbain that the unicorns of Ran were able to speak, and had to be treated as free subjects.  
  
James and Gwyneth had many games with Margaret, who was able to run and jump and play within a day, and they noticed Gale and Cordelia spending a great deal of time together. Margaret and Gwyneth giggled and exchanged knowing glances.  
  
At the end of that week the Seeker was as good as new, and they were ready to move on. With great tenderness Gale took his leave of Cordelia and her father, promising that, whatever happened, he would be back here. There were tears in her eyes as she watched them continue east, and James was almost certain he saw her whisper "Please come back to me," as Gale ascended the gangplank once more. Both princesses stood on the dock waving their handkerchiefs till they were out of sight.  
  
CHAPTER 10  
  
THE SEA REGENT  
  
With the new sails hoisted to the wind, they continued eastward, the morning star once more at their prow. Now they were truly sailing where no Narnian had gone before, and though there was a certain thrill, there was also fear, for though they knew other lands lay beyond, they knew nothing more. The tall yarns they'd heard here and in Terebinthia served to do nothing for James and Gwyneth but to make them worry, though not as much as they would have had they not already seen the Kraken. In fact, they came to wonder as to whether there was a purpose to this mission, and how much further Gale would continue before he decided he had proven himself and head for home.  
  
After three days of fair sailing, the day dawned with a rosy mist all around, and the seas calmer than normal, with barely a breath of air to fill the sails. Then out of the mist came the sound of a horn, louder than their trumpets but somehow sweeter. Now they had their first real fright, for that sound was like nothing anyone had ever heard before, and a second sounding of the horn, this time closer, set every nerve on edge.  
  
"It's a ghost, or something not of this world," muttered one of the sailors, as others murmured in kind.  
  
"You there, be silent!" barked Esprian. "Have you no more courage than to lose your discipline at a simple sound? We have met enough challenges thus far, we will meet this one!"  
  
Bit by bit the mist faded, and they were left in the bright light, with a completely empty sea around them, as though there were nothing else in all the world. All breathed a collective sight of relief for a moment. That relief lasted no more than a moment, though, as the surface of the sea alongside the ship was broken by what at first appeared to be a white horse with a sea-green mane. However, when they saw that the legs ended in fins, and that the body beyond the place where we would put a saddle was scaled green and golden, it was clear that this was no normal horse. More surprising was the rider.  
  
Although he had the form of a man, albeit one larger than a land-bound one, his skin was quite blue, not blue as it might be from cold, but blue as the sea itself, and his hair was green like seaweed. With one hand he held the reins of his mount, and in the other he held a large pink conch shell, upon which he blew a blast similar to that they had heard before. All stood stock still, as the being lowered his horn and spoke in a booming voice that seemed to have the echo of crashing waves. "Greetings, travelers in my master's domain. I am the herald of The Sea Regent. My master is abroad and would speak with you."  
  
Amidst whispers of awe and fear, the leaders knew there could be but one decision. "It would seem we have no choice," said Gale in the bravest voice he could manage. "He may speak, we will listen."  
  
Triton (for that was the herald's name) raised his horn to his lips and again sounded a long blast. The motion of the waves grew calmer, then ceased altogether, till the surface of the sea was as smooth as a pane of glass stretching in all directions. A moment later the smooth surface churned into foam about the length of two automobiles from the ship, and the heads of several more horses like that ridden by Triton emerged. Four of these drew a huge, wheel-less wagon of very pale gold with a sheen like that you find in the lining of oyster shells, while others served as mounts for beings similar to Triton, some blue-skinned, some green, one with gray hair and beard, some bearing long spears of what appeared to be golden stone (actually coral), and several with fishtails where others had legs.  
  
But everyone's eyes went directly to the occupant of the chariot, who quite took everyone's breath away. His skin alone of the group was the color of mortal flesh, but his hair and beard were a dark and iridescent greenish blue, and his eyes an impossibly deep emerald green, these were eyes that looked somehow older than any that any member of that party had seen on a living person. You had the feeling looking at them that these were eyes that had seen all the ages of the world since its inception, with all the goings and comings, changes and changes back, happiness and sadness, bearings and passings, and quite possibly also some things that mortals were not meant to witness, too terrible to think of. He was draped in a robe of white, with sea-green edges, and on his brow sat a crown of three points, of the same pale gold the chariot was made of, set with pink coral and pearls so large as to be impossibly valuable. With his left hand he held the reins of the sea horses, while in his right he held the mighty trident, or three-pronged spear, by which all, even James and Gwyneth, who had seen his picture countless times along the margin of her father's sea charts, knew him as Neptune, Father of the Sea, as the Romans once called him, or Poseidon, the Thunderer and the Shaker, as the Greeks called him in our world. However, to see a picture, or even a statue as you might in the British Museum, is one thing, to be faced by a completely real, larger-than- life, more-than-mortal sea god is quite another. Several crewmen edged back from the rail in fear, and James and Gwyneth simply stood, their hearts in their throats, for they had read some of the ancient stories you may have, and knew that Neptune had but to wave his trident and the sea would erupt in a storm more violent than any they had been through or seen.  
  
Lorian's hand tightened on his sword, but Esprian glared at him. "Hands away from weapons, you brave fool! You cannot harm the divine!"  
  
Neptune came somewhat closer, and they could see there was no anger in his eyes. Slowly they began to relax somewhat, as he spoke, in a voice that seemed to come from the deepest depths of the sea.  
  
"Greetings, travelers, in the name of Aslan, the King of all Kings, who gave me the seas of this world to rule. Greetings especially to you, Gale, king, son of kings who were, father of kings who will be, for I know why you come here."  
  
"Greetings, Sea Regent," said Gale simply, for what else could he say?  
  
"If you would prove yourself worthy of your throne, hear my words. Three day's sail to the east of here lies an archipelago of three islands. The people of these islands live in fear of a sea dragon who demands tribute and destroys wantonly. Like the Kraken you have already met he is not one of my creatures. Defeat this monster, I charge you in Aslan's name."  
  
All gasped. "Can I defeat this monster, and what will happen if I do?" managed Gale, for even given what he had already faced a battle with a dragon was certainly not something he would have wished for.  
  
"I cannot say whether you will or will not be victorious, for the currents of the future are always in motion, and difficult to read, but I can say this, at the end of the battle you will no longer be King of Narnia. Go now and heed my words!" With that he raised his trident, and the sea erupted again into foam and splashes. When it settled once more into its normal wavelets, no sign of the Regent or his court remained. Indeed, it was hard for them to believe they had ever been there. A strange brightness hung in the air, though, and a sweet but briny smell hung just outside their senses.  
  
"What now?" asked James, looking up at King Gale, his eyes wide with the wonder of what he had just seen.  
  
Gale, with a dazed and confused look, finally said, "Though my mind tells me I cannot have just seen and heard what we just experienced, I cannot ignore my eyes, my ears, or my heart, and what was said could not be clearer. Up sails and out oars, Esprian! To the east, and we will take the adventure that Aslan has sent us!"  
  
The crew did just that, and they continued on their way. But each was lost in thought, and no one regained his usual humor until that evening.  
  
CHAPTER 11  
  
A PURPOSE FOUND  
  
As the Regent had predicted, on the morning of the third day after their encounter with him, they came within sight of the islands he had spoken of. One was fairly flat and green, and shortly beyond they could see the second, which rose in gray cliffs. The third was not immediately visible. A cluster of white was visible on the second island, buildings, most likely. Nothing out of the ordinary was visible as they sailed around the coast of the first and down the channel between the two islands. For the moment they stayed to the coast of the first island, and within an hour's sail a small village became visible. It appeared normal enough, twenty or so small buildings clustered about a road, but for three very large burn marks where buildings had obviously been destroyed fairly recently. Seeing this, Gale ordered them to anchor off the village as closely as possible. Then he, Lorian, James, Gwyneth, Brindle, Arlian and four others took a boat and rowed in to shore.  
  
Stepping through the surf, they found no one out and about, although that was perhaps not unexpected, given the obvious damage. Still, the king was determined to find out all he could, and ordered his trumpeter to sound a blast. After the brazen sound faded, several people did appear, emerging cautiously from the windows and doors of the various houses. Three approached, among them one man in a light shirt of mail covered with a light blue surcoat bearing the outline of three islands in green. He bore a sword at his belt, but did not draw it.  
  
"Who comes here?" he asked, but not in a voice that would frighten anyone.  
  
"Gale, king of Narnia and his company. What lands are these?"  
  
"These lands are called the Lone Islands, and you have landed on Felimath. I am Giles, Warden of Felimath, and I would advise you to move on quickly to Narrowhaven across the channel and then on, for these are dangerous times here, as you can see (here he gestured to the ruins)."  
  
"We are aware of your misfortune. In fact, it is to help you with that misfortune that we are here. Can you aid us?"  
  
"Well, there is very little I can do. This island simply serves us as a pasture for our flocks, and I simply serve to enforce the rule of the barons of Doorn and Avra among the shepherds here. However, there is also very little here to interest the dragon that has been plaguing us for a year, unless he seeks a meal of mutton. I only wish he might come here, that I might introduce him to the edge of my blade."  
  
"I see. Then where can we find these barons?"  
  
"In Narrowhaven, of course. But it grows late. If you would like you may stay the night here, and I will go with you to see them in the morning."  
  
That sounded fine to Gale, as trying to put into port and treat with local rulers in the evening would be tiring, so he went back to the boat and signaled that they would stay at anchor for the night there. The local inn could accommodate two dozen, so some came ashore, while a strict watch was set up on the ship, just in case this was one of the rare occasions the dragon decided to come here.  
  
James, Gwyneth, and King Gale sat up into the night for a while with Giles, and he explained the situation to them. The dragon had apparently just appeared out of the waves a year ago, and done as a dragon would, laid low several buildings with his fiery breath and demanded tribute in treasure. The people of the islands were mostly farmers, shepherds, fishermen, and merchants, for these islands lay along the trade routes between north and south, so most ships plying those routes had to stop there, and pay the taxes of the barons, whence came much of their wealth. Though the barons had soldiers to enforce their will, most of them were only loyal because they were paid, in fact many were from other nations and only stayed here because they were being paid more than they would make as mercenaries guarding ships. None were about to face a dragon, and the barons themselves would not, they simply raised the taxes on trade and on their own people and kept the dragon mostly satisfied, though he would still occasionally knock down a building or kill a few people to demonstrate his power, never one belonging to a baron, of course. This did make life difficult for the common people, though. He ended his account by saying "I have moved the barons several times to take action against this menace, but they ignore me."  
  
"Hmph," sneered James. "It sounds like the barons are cowards who just want to keep what they have, and anyone else be blasted."  
  
"Peace, James," said King Gale, "We are strangers in their lands, and we have not heard what they have to say."  
  
"They sound heartless, never mind cowardly!" said Gwyneth, a bit angry.  
  
"With respect," said the king, "Gwyneth, your tongue outpaces your thoughts."  
  
"Your young friends are not too far off the mark, I'm afraid," said Giles. "They just say it more plainly than most here would dare. I myself would take on this dragon alone if I thought more could result than my own death."  
  
The next morning they sailed across the channel and moored in Narrowhaven, where three blackened and burned spots that had once been buildings gave testimony to the dragon's presence. Arming themselves they marched up the main street of the town to the baron's castle. Sounding his horn, Gale called "The King of Narnia demands an audience with the Baron of Doorn!"  
  
The gate did open and the guards stood back, for there were fewer of them, and many were not as heavily armed as Gale's men. More to the point, after many months of simply collecting taxes and bullying merchants who simply wanted to get on their way and locals who could not fight back, none of them were interested in a stand-up fight with other men-at-arms. One of their officers went in to see if the baron would see Gale, but the pale face he had said that he would all but beg him to do so.  
  
He emerged shortly thereafter. "The baron will see you, but your men will have to wait outside."  
  
"Very well, but my officers and friends must come with me. I will not walk in alone to be struck down."  
  
The officer was not about to argue, and Gale, the children, and the officers were soon ushered into the hall of the castle, where the baron sat in state. He was smaller than the Warden, thinner, with a wispy gray beard. Rubbing his hands nervously, he said, "Greetings, your Majesty, and you Giles, our faithful servant. May I ask to what I owe the honor of this sudden visit?"  
  
"We come to aid you, actually. This dragon is a plague on this nation."  
  
At this, the baron's face perked up. "Do you believe you can defeat it?"  
  
Gale's hand went to his sword hilt. A strange light was in his eyes. "We will do so or die in the trying, Aslan himself has sent us."  
  
The baron's expression changed for a moment. The children thought that for a moment he might have decided that Gale was crazy. But, his expression changed just as quickly to a smile, though not a very nice one, they thought.  
  
"You are in luck, for it is tomorrow morning that the dragon will come to collect his tribute. You may meet him on the beach north of the town, and give him battle there."  
  
"Excellent. How many men can you lend to this enterprise?"  
  
At this, the baron's lips pursed "Unfortunately I am not able to offer any. I require them to keep the security of this palace and my people. But you will be well-rewarded if you are victorious."  
  
James' and Gwyneth's faces fell, and King Gale's face tightened, but he simply said "Very well. We will return when we have dispatched this beast." In thorough disgust they marched out of the castle.  
  
Giles turned to Gale, "I warned you not to expect any help from this quarter. Sinon (for that was the baron's name) hasn't lifted a blade or sent an army to do any real fighting his entire life, and he certainly isn't about to do so now."  
  
"What of the baron of Avra (the third island)?"  
  
"I wouldn't waste my time. He's as corrupt as Sinon, and unlikely to even see you, unless you have some new vintage of wine for him (here he made a gesture of drinking). But I will stand with you, and there are a dozen or so of my own compatriots who will join with us."  
  
"I'm glad there are a few loyal souls here. Well, let us eat and rest. There is much to be done tomorrow."  
  
They had a decent dinner with provisions from the market, and passed the night aboard ship, since the baron was not about to lodge them. James and Gwyneth both sat up quite late, however. Finally she slipped down the corridor and knocked on the door to his cabin, whispering "James, it's Gwyn."  
  
In a moment she heard the tap of his boot on the floor and he opened the door. She could see by the light of the candle still burning in his cabin that he hadn't slept.  
  
"So you couldn't sleep either?"  
  
"No, not a wink. I can't stop my head from spinning."  
  
"Nor I. Almost every other strange encounter we've had has been immediate and there hasn't been time to think on it. The sirens, the kraken, they just appeared and we did what we had to do. But now we have to face a dragon, a real dragon. You saw those burnings on Felimath and here."  
  
"I did, and I'm scared. Not just of the battle, but of what will happen to us. Is this all a dream and will we just wake up if we die? If it's not, will we ever get home? Why did this all happen?"  
  
"I... I don't know," was all James could answer. "I can only hope that we will get back, somehow, and there is a reason we were brought here. King Gale and the rest have stood by us all the way through this, and I'm sure they'll do the same tomorrow. As King Gale said, we must take the adventure that Aslan sends us, and there really isn't any choice, is there?"  
  
"There isn't, I suppose, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm frightened."  
  
James then did something he had never done. He put his arms around Gwyneth and held her for a moment, as his mother had done for him when he'd said that. "I'm frightened too, but we will face this just like we faced all the other dangers. Now go to bed. We need to be rested for this."  
  
Somewhat comforted, Gwyneth rose and went to her bed. For a time she simply lay there, but sleep did come, eventually as it always must.  
  
CHAPTER 12  
  
SWORDS AND SCALES  
  
In the morning, all rose feeling twice the feeling you might have experienced when facing an examination you know will make or break you for the term or when someone you love is going to have surgery. Slowly every fighting man and beast aboard donned his armor and hefted every weapon that was serviceable. Most wore chain mail as they had for most of the journey, and all carried shields of wood and metal. But King Gale, Esprian, Lorian, Arlian, and the knights of the ship's military contingent donned cuirasses, arm braces, and greaves all of plate, as well as full visored helms. They hefted huge, kite-shaped shields all of metal, bearing the sign of the rampant lion. James and Gwyneth joined them, James with his sword oiled and sharpened to perfection, and Gwyneth with thirty arrows at the ready. They had breakfast, for although the combination of excitement and fear was enough to make it hard to contemplate eating, all knew they could not face this foe with less than their full strength, and that meant eating.  
  
After they were finished, Gale and his officers inspected the men, making certain every belt was tight, every quiver full, every blade and point sharp, and every shield sturdy. No one dared that any of these be otherwise, and when Gale was satisfied, they formed themselves up in columns four abreast on the quay, under leaden skies, and, with their banners flapping almost soundlessly in the faint sea breeze, they began to march down to the beach at a slow but resolute pace, marked by the beat of muffled drums. They did not go unnoticed, for several of the people of Narrowhaven came to the gate or mounted the walls to watch this small troop of brave foreigners go to brave the danger their own rulers did not dare to. None cheered nor said a word, though, their fear of the baron's mercenaries being greater than their fear of the dragon.  
  
Twenty minute's march brought them to the appointed, beach, a long, level stretch of sand hemmed in by stony ridges. A pile of treasure such as most in this world would envy lay in the center of it. Coins, goblets, pitchers, bars of precious metal, jewels and jewelry were stacked as high as James' shoulders. Around it stood Giles, in full chain mail with helmet and shield, his sword drawn in his hand, and a dozen or so men wearing the same blue livery as the warden, about four in chain, the rest in studded leather, all holding shields and very long spears.  
  
After Gale and Giles saluted each other with their swords, Gale stepped forward, struck his shield with the flat of his sword to get everyone's attention, and said, "Friends, both those who've stood by us since we left port and those few brave souls who've joined us today, this morning we face the greatest challenge in living memory. We do not do this for profit nor for the glory of our own names, but for the honor of Aslan's name, who has sent us, and the welfare of those who saw us come here this morning, who cannot defeat this menace themselves. The danger is great, and almost certainly there will be loss today, but should there be, let he who falls know he did so in the right cause, for he who stands apart from this battle has chosen to stand apart from aiding those who needed him the most when they needed him the most."  
  
Pointing, he continued, "You knights and all those footmen who have shields will be in the first and second ranks, spreading out six to the left and right from myself and the officers, save Thurian. The rest of the footmen will form a third and fourth rank. We will then split into left and right blocks and each will move out of sight behind these boulders. Thurian and the archers will mount the ridges and lay down to keep out of sight. When the dragon comes up on the beach, the archers will stand up and loose as many volleys as they are able. Aim for the eyes if you can. On my signal both blocks of men will move together and advance on the dragon. If possible we'll spread out in a ring so that the dragon cannot fight all of us at once. Try to strike for the under-belly, it is my belief that dragons are not as heavily armored beneath. There are no other arrangements to be made."  
  
He pressed his shield into the sand so that the image of the lion on it faced the men, and said, "Before we begin this undertaking, however, let us kneel before Aslan's image and call upon His favor, that He may infuse our sword arms with the power we need to accomplish what we were sent to do."  
  
All knelt and doffed their helms. Bowing his head, Gale recited, "Aslan, creator of this world and all that is in it, son of the Emperor-Over-Sea, who ordains the way of all things in these times and those to come, turn Your eyes in favor upon Your servants gathered here in Your name. Bless this undertaking and infuse us with the fire of Your grace, that we may raise our hearts and hands in the task You have charged us with, and be victorious. And if it is written on the tablets of fate that any of us must lose his life in this noble undertaking, we ask that You receive him into Your country, and that he sup at Your table with those noble souls who have gone before in Your service. Amen."  
  
"Amen." all responded, and then a most wondrous thing happened. Several wisps of white mist began to rise from the sand about them, and the morning sunlight pierced the clouds, turning it to a nimbus of bright gold. Every suit of armor, every spear point, and every drawn blade caught the sunlight and sparkled in every color as though it were made of diamond, and it seemed, though no one could ever swear to it afterward, that they heard a noise like the roar of a lion, only five times as loud, from nowhere, yet everywhere, in their own minds, yet filling the air and rumbling in the earth at the same time. James and Gwyneth thought they should be afraid, but quite to the contrary, they both felt brave, much braver than they had before, and the same was true for all who stood there.  
  
As the golden mist dispersed, King Gale, awed but supremely confident, replaced his helm, took up his shield once more, drew his sword, and shouted "In Aslan's name, to your stations!" in a voice that seemed to come from the other end of the world.  
  
Half an hour later, they waited, everyone in place, all swords out, all shields up to the nose, all arrows nocked, all spears at the ready, not worrying about what would occur, not even wanting anything to occur, only ready for whatever would occur.  
  
An ominous trail of bubbles in the water told them their waiting was at an end. Normally this would be the time when all would feel the most fear, seeing that something was coming but not knowing what it was, but they only tightened their hands on their weapons the more. Bubbles became foam, the sunlight glinted off scales, and a moment later a horrifying, serpent-like horned head rose from the water with a deafening alligator-like roar and a display of a double row of sharp fangs, followed by a long neck and body covered with slimy green scales the size of dinner plates, four legs with clawed webbed feet, and a tail ending with a horrifying blue-green spike. Seeing the treasure, it made for the pile, its yellow, snake-like eyes glittering with greed.  
  
"Now!" yelled Thurian, standing up. All the archers leaped to their feet and loosed their shafts, aiming for the eyes and the sickly yellow belly visible as the dragon reared its head. Alas, most of these struck the green scales and bounced away as though they had been no more than so many rubber balls. But some few did strike the under-belly and penetrated, giving hope to Gale and his men below that this dragon could in fact be wounded. One arrow alone punctured the dragon's left eye, producing a loud bellow and a gout of green flame toward their position. Though the heat of the dragon's fire felt to them as it might if you opened the door to a blast furnace and felt the heat on your face, the dragon was in too much pain and surprise to aim its fire accurately.  
  
At that point Gale leaped out from his hiding place behind a boulder, sword in hand, and his men swiftly drew themselves into line. "Forward!" he yelled, before lowering his visor. At that point control was lost, as all advanced as quickly as they were able, each eager to sink his weapon into the dragon. Even half blinded, the dragon had no trouble seeing what it was up against on the ground, and inhaled grimly.  
  
"Ware the fire!" yelled Arlian, but it was too late. The dragon opened its grim jaws and released a blast of lambent blue-green flame straight at the advancing Narnians. Most dropped down and crouched behind their shields, and so were spared the full force of it, but two men were too far out in front. With no time to either crouch or back away, both simply vanished in the flames, leaving nothing where they had stood save white patches of ash.  
  
Lorian leaped up and hefted his battle-axe in both hands. Thinking to strike a fatal blow before the dragon could get its breath again, he shouted "For Aslan and Narnia!" and charged as fast as he could at the dragon's belly.  
  
"No, you brave fool!" yelled Gale, but before he could get the words completely out, the dragon had swung its right claw, larger than an automobile, and caught Lorian squarely across the side. The force of the blow was so great that it sent Lorian flying ten yards onto the sand, where he lay unmoving. Enraged, the others dashed forward, thrusting blindly at their foe. Though several spears found their mark, they brought no more than a trickle or two of dark blood. Another swipe of the dragon's claw knocked Gale's shield from his grasp and threw him down on his side. The dragon reared its head and opened its mouth, ready to pounce on Gale and chew him up like so much candy, but James dived forward in a roll, picked up Gale's shield from the ground where it had fallen, and interposed his own body between the dragon and Gale, deflecting the monster's bite and jamming the shield into the roof and the bottom of the dragon's mouth.  
  
Seizing the opportunity, Gale grasped his sword in both hands, and, rolling to his right, plunged it as deep as he could into the place where the dragon's neck met its body and cut down with all the strength he possessed. Steaming burgundy blood flowed out, splashing the nearest men. The dragon roared once more, but whereas its roars up to now had been angry challenges, this was a scream of pain and fear. Gale had gotten the dragon's vitals, and though it thrashed about terribly, that was all it could now do. Gale and his men fell back to avoid being crushed as the dragon fell over onto its side, gave one last tremendous spurt of blood, and then lay still.  
  
A long moment passed, as they wondered if the dragon was truly dead, but when no smoke came from its nostrils nor movement from its body, it became obvious that this scourge to the Islands was no longer a threat. No cheers went up, however, as Gale dashed to the side of the pitiable heap of smashed metal and flesh that had been Lorian. Alas, the rash officer's limbs were bent at impossible angles and both torso and head were badly crushed, with blood seeping out to turn the surrounding sand brown. This victory had not come without cost. Gale lifted his visor and choked back tears, as all present lowered their heads in acknowledgement of Lorian's sacrifice.  
  
CHAPTER 13  
  
EMPEROR OF THE LONE ISLANDS  
  
For a brief moment, there was silence on the beach and the cliff's, save Gwyneth's soft sobbing when she saw Gale lower his head and realized why. But the moment of sorrow only lasted that moment. Gale stood once more, and though his face was ashen, his voice and posture remained commanding. Picking up Lorian's sea cloak from the pile of cloaks they had deposited behind the boulders to keep them from getting in their way during the fight, he ordered two of the soldiers "Take two spears and make a litter for out fallen companion, then fall in behind the rest. The rest of you fall into formation now. We march back from this fight as orderly as we marched to it."  
  
"Your majesty?" asked Arlian.  
  
"Do it!" barked the king, in a voice like the blast of a trumpet. Needless to say, all obeyed without further question. When they were all in formation four abreast, and Lorian's broken body was covered with the king's banner, they began the march back to Narrowhaven, without drumbeat, trumpet, or a single word, swords still in hand.  
  
Though their march was in silence, Narrowhaven was anything but as they approached, with bells ringing and trumpets sounding. The people had seen the entire episode, and now cheered their saviors. They lined the walls, shouting louder than fans at a championship soccer match and waving to the approaching Narnians. Several, including Baron Sinon, stood at the gate to welcome them, most with looks of surprise, some, including the baron, with less than sincere smiles, though the baron's hands trembled.  
  
"Well done," said Baron Sinon. "You have done us a great service, and I will see you are well rewarded."  
  
"Speak not of your tainted rewards!" snarled King Gale, the first time James and Gwyneth had seen him really angry. "Because we chose to give your people the aid you wouldn't, two of my subjects lie in ashes, and a good officer, one of my closest friends, who saved my life on the journey here, is dead!"  
  
I don't doubt that he would have struck Sinon's head off on the spot, but for a shout from one of the others present. "Homage to Gale Dragonslayer, Emperor of the Lone Islands!"  
  
"Homage! Homage!" shouted the Narnians, and all present took up the cry. Sinon looked about hopelessly. There was no way he could challenge his own people when they themselves shouted homage to this new ruler.  
  
Gale pushed his anger aside, there was an opportunity here to bring the people of these islands out from under this corrupt ruler, and under the throne of Narnia. He had not set out to make Narnia an empire, indeed the thought of creating an empire did not sit well with him, that was for tyrannies like Calormen. But, this would be to liberate these people, not to exploit them, and to leave them in the hands of this greedy coward would be to leave them in no better circumstance than when he arrived.  
  
Raising his hands, he said "I thank you, people of the Lone Islands, and I will accept this honor you have offered me. Only allow me a day to bury my fallen companion. Until then, Giles, see to it that Sinon does not attempt to undo what has been done here."  
  
Giles understood perfectly, and stepped forward. He and two of his men took Sinon into custody, firmly but not roughly, and marched him to his private quarters in the castle, where he was put under lock and key.  
  
Gale had much to think about, but for the moment he was determined to see that his fallen companions were properly sent to their rest. That evening the Narnians dug a grave high on a bluff facing east. Lorian was wrapped in robes of white and placed in a casket of fine Calormene cedar that one of the Lone Island merchants donated. As the sun set they assembled, together with Giles and several other Islanders, lowered the casket into its place, and dropped the sand where the two Narnians who had died by fire had stood in the grave.  
  
King Gale raised his hands toward the east and intoned "Aslan, creator of this world and all that inhabit it, hear our prayer. Gather the souls of our companions, Lorian, Belin, and Gerant, fallen in Your service, into Your country beyond the East. May they rest in peace beyond trouble and danger, in the garden not grown by hands, in the light of Your presence, where all good souls one day will gather. To the embrace of the land we entrust their bodies, to You we entrust their spirits. To ourselves we entrust their memories, and the resolution that they will never be said to have fallen in vain this day. In Your name, we say Amen."  
  
"Amen," responded the assembly. One by one they filed past the grave, each tossing in a handful of soil, more than a few with tears flowing, as the trumpeter sounded the doleful "Last Post." As the last handful was thrown in, all stood to attention and the national banner and king's banner were lifted on high. All saluted, signifying the end of the time of sadness. In time a stone obelisk was raised over the spot, bearing images of each of the fallen warriors, together with the image of Aslan, and on it was inscribed: In memory of Lorian, Belin, and Gerant, in the service of Gale Dragonslayer, King of Narnia, Lord of Cair Paravel, first Emperor of the Lone Islands, who fell in the battle that defeated the dragon that menaced these islands. Let all who see this remember that deed and that day.  
  
The next day was much lighter in character, as the Narnians socialized with their new subjects. James and Gwyneth romped in the surf as they had in Tenby in their own world. But, while they played, preparations for events much more solemn were being made. From one of the bars of gold that was to have been the dragon's tribute, Narrowhaven's master goldsmiths forged a crown for their new emperor, while from the finest materials to be found in the markets local expert seamstresses made a cloak for him. Other local merchants decorated the great hall of the castle with roses, lilies, violets, marigolds, and other flowers, and bunting in red and green.  
  
The second morning after the burial of Lorian, in the presence of the entire company of the Seeker and as much of the populace of Narrowhaven as could squeeze into the great hall, Gale stepped forward to the throne previously occupied by Sinon, wearing his Narnian robe of state with the addition of a floor-length cloak of sea blue silk trimmed with white fur and winking with sapphires and emeralds. To the sound of drums, trumpets, and hymns of joy, the city fathers gave him the oath to rule over the islands in keeping with the principles of justice, equity and honor, and then placed the Emperor's Crown, fresh from the forges, on his head to loud cheers. Though it was not the fashion of that world to make crowns that were so heavy as to be difficult to wear, this was somewhat more ornate than the crown of King Frank, befitting the title of Emperor, with a band two fingers wide, rising all around in points curved in the shape of breaking waves, set with alternating sapphires and pearls, in keeping with the sea-oriented nature of the realm.  
  
With that Gale took his seat on the throne and took up his scepter. Thanking all present, he called Giles forward.  
  
"It is our belief that one of your own should rule over these lands while we are not present. Therefore, Giles, Warden of Felimath, grasp my scepter and kneel (Giles did so). Do you solemnly swear that you will govern these islands in keeping with the ancient customs, laws, and statutes of Narnia, and in accordance with the principles of justice, fair dealing, honor, and equity, that you will favor no one subject over another, and that you will defend these islands against danger?"  
  
"I do so swear."  
  
"Then we appoint you Governor of the Lone Islands under us. Receive the medallion of your office (here he placed a golden medallion set with emeralds around Giles' neck). Receive also the axe wielded by our servant in this battle (he handed him Lorian's axe, by which all will know you. We charge you to take this treasure that would have been tribute for the dragon but is now available for these islands' use, and raise an army from among the people, and a navy from the timber that grows here, forces who fight for honor and their nation, not greed. Keep the seas around these islands free of pirates and raiders. Make certain that honest weights and fair measures are given in the markets, and let no-one traffic in drugs, charms, or slaves, for these are abhorrent to our customs. Let no one who comes here fear for his safety simply because of what or who he is, unless by his actions he shows himself to be an enemy."  
  
"Yes, your Imperial Majesty," said Giles, taking his seat somewhat lower than the Emperor's throne. Now Sinon was brought forth, still escorted by two of Giles' men.  
  
"You, Sinon, have behaved in a most shameful manner, unworthy of your title, treating your subjects only as those you could extort money from, while offering nothing in return. As such, you are hereby stripped of the title of baron, and we declare you banished. Gather your belongings and your followers and depart. If you are found in our dominions after three days pass, you will pay with your life. Remove the prisoner!"  
  
Gale turned last to James. "James, come forward. Though you have stood by me through this entire adventure, and done your duty, here you did much more. But for your actions in the battle, I would have perished, and all we have done here would be naught. Kneel. (he drew his sword and gave James the accolade) In the name of Aslan and the crown of Narnia I give you the power to mete justice, the eligibility to fight at tourney, and the title Knight of the Realm, with all the duties and privileges appertaining thereto. Arise, Sir James!"  
  
After the coronation and the Emperor's judgments, all feasted. On the morrow, however, it was decided that they needed to continue their mission. The Seeker was examined by all the most skilled shipwrights in the island, then restocked with provisions and all other supplies they would need.  
  
A week later, the new Emperor took leave of his appointed governor and his servants, who all came down to the docks to see them cast off, and waited there till the sound of Gale's trumpet came no more across the water.  
  
CHAPTER 14  
  
LESSONS AND A LOOK AHEAD  
  
Scudding south and east, the Seeker encountered almost nothing save a pod of whales, which they kept well away from, for eight days. The morning of the ninth day the silhouette of an island appeared on the horizon, smaller than any of the Lone Islands, but still worth investigating, they decided, if only to keep the water casks full.  
  
They anchored in a calm natural harbor, and Gale, the children, and eight of the men took a boat with water casks ashore. By the time they got the casks unloaded, however, it was nearly noon, and the sun was particularly hot. Deciding not to press on in the heat, Gale ordered the men to take a rest. Ere long all of them were not just resting but asleep beneath the trees. Gale, however, was not able to sleep, so he kept watch, sword in hand. After half an hour or so, he saw a strange flash of gold in the sky. Rousing the children, he told them to follow him while he followed this, though he did not know why.  
  
As they topped a hill and entered a grove of dogwood trees, the creature came into fuller view. Its hindquarters were those of a great tawny lion, while its front quarters were those of a gleaming golden eagle, whose feathers caught the sunlight as though they were made of true molten gold. With a great circling motion the Griffin landed before them in the glade and turned its head to fix them with one amber eye. A voice not quite like the cry of a hawk came from its beak. "Greetings, adventurers. What brings you to this place?"  
  
Gale, unsure of why he should answer thus, said "I am Gale, King of Narnia, and these are my friends from another world. I came this far on a mission first to prove myself, then an assignment from Aslan. This island is simply the next leg of the journey."  
  
"And the final leg, my son," said the Griffin as his voice deepened and his feathers somehow vanished, transforming him into a great golden lion, larger than any in our world, with a mane like molten copper and incredible eyes of softly glowing topaz, even more wondrous than those of Neptune, for where Neptune's eyes had the look of one who had seen all that was and all that had been, you had the sense that these eyes had seen all that was, all that had been, and all that was to be. He did not need to give his name, all three breathed "Aslan," the moment they saw him, as a strange warm feeling rose in them.  
  
"Hail Aslan, King over all kings in this world," said Gale, dropping to his knees, as did the children. "Your servants greet you."  
  
"Well done, king of Narnia, well done, son of Adam and daughter of Eve. You have all handled the adventure placed before you in this time as was fitting, and there will be peace and good rule in these parts for some time to come because of your bravery. However, I come to tell you that it is time for this adventure to come to its end. You, Gale, must re-embark and sail for Narnia, and you, James and Gwyneth, must return to your world whence you came."  
  
"With respect, great Aslan, I set out on this mission to prove myself. To simply halt and return home now seems rather abrupt. Are there no more lands to discover?"  
  
Aslan made a sound something less than a growl and said "My son, there are indeed other lands to be discovered, but by others than yourself. You have now been gone from your lands for some time. Be gone longer and you risk your subjects wondering what became of you or if you are coming back at all. Questions like that lead to the raising of the possible answer that you will not in fact be back, and that in turn leads to the question as to who will rule now that the king is gone, and thence to the question as to whether any king should be trusted if one abandons his people. Is any mission of glory worth shaking to its core the system of rule upon which your subjects have come to rely? As for proving yourself worthy to hold your throne, what of the kinsman whose rightful rule you upheld? The fellow king whose capital you defended? The kraken you sent fleeing? The innocent girl whose life you saved? The dragon you defeated? The nation you gave back to its people? And this is to say nothing of the less than ideal conditions you have endured through this journey. Anyone who would not be convinced you were worthy to rule knowing all that simply could not be convinced, and it is not those you cannot convince that you need concern yourself with, for they are few and inconsequential. This being the case, it is most vital that you start back as soon as we are finished here."  
  
Gale sighed, "I cannot disagree with the wisdom of your words, though I would be lying if I said I do not want to see what else lies to the east of here. But what of these two? My men will certainly have questions if I walk away with two companions and return alone. Rumors that I murdered children are not something I wish to contend with."  
  
"You need not worry. I will speak to your men in their dreams as they sleep here in the heat of the day. They will believe you if you tell them the truth. Now be on your way and do not tarry more than you must."  
  
Gale extended his hand to James. "Farewell, Sir James. I am honored to have had you as part of this mission, and remember, once a knight of the realm, always a knight of the realm." Turning to Gwyneth, he said "Farewell, Gwyneth. You too have served very well, and been a good friend. I suppose there isn't much more I can say."  
  
Gwyneth reached up and hugged King Gale. "Let your arms speak for you then, your Majesty," she said, snuggling against him for a moment. He returned the embrace, though careful not to press too hard on her with his armored arms.  
  
Releasing Gwyneth, King Gale bowed to Aslan and the children, then took three reluctant steps backward before turning away and vanishing through the dogwoods.  
  
"Now children," said Aslan in a lower rumbling voice, it is time for you to also depart. You have done the tasks I brought you here for."  
  
"But, Aslan," asked Gwyneth. "If I may, why did you bring us here only to send us back?"  
  
"Ah, you are not the first children of your world to be brought here, and you will not be the last. It is only partially to aid in tasks that you are brought here. Throughout this mission you have seen and learned of rulers both good and bad, and how they act, and what harm those unworthy to lead can bring. A time is not far off in your world when great nations will, alas, be led by led by those who are unworthy, who will undo in a few years what it took centuries to build and will take decades to recover, if it is to be recovered at all."  
  
"Can you not prevent this?" asked James, incredulous.  
  
"James, he isn't from our world," said Gwyneth.  
  
"Daughter of Eve, it is there that you err, for I am there in your world, although I have a different name there. If you call on me by that name you will find the strength to sustain you through the dark times to come, until the light shines the brighter, and I think it will shine the brighter one day. Know also that it is not within my power to interfere directly in the affairs of men who refuse me entry into their hearts and minds. This then brings me to the other part of the purpose for which I bring you here, that by knowing me here, you may know me better in your need in your own place, which it is time for me to return you to now. Step forward as I open the door in the sky."  
  
Grasping hands tightly, James and Gwyneth walked forward resolutely as Aslan raised up his paw. It is hard to describe what followed. For a moment they saw nothing but the blue of the sky and the gold of Aslan's mane, then that mane seemed to become a great flood of rose, gold, and white all around them, in which they could not tell which way was up or down, but it did not matter, for the feeling that came over them was one that as they felt it, they were convinced they had never known what it meant to be happy, or brave, or wise, or pure, or good, till they had experienced it. The smell that came over them was the same, as though they had never before experienced sweetness or warmth till that moment. And for the rest of their days, even when things seemed darkest, they had to but remember that feeling and that sweetness, and once more they would know that in the end all would be right.  
  
As Aslan's lordly voice spoke one last time, saying only "Farewell, my dearest ones!" before fading to a whisper and then into silence, they found themselves standing again in Aunt Catherine's garden, and the sun had hardly moved from where it was before that crawl through the thicket. With a joyful shout they ran hand in hand for the house, realizing they still had most of the summer holiday before them.  
  
CHAPTER 15  
  
EPILOGUE  
  
That was the end of James's and Gwyneth's adventures through the thicket, though they had many more wonderful times together that summer, playing, talking, sharing their secret of this adventure, even traveling to Tenby and Penzance, so much so that they almost cried at the prospect of saying goodbye when the time came to go back to school. They exchanged letters of several pages during the school year, visited most of Christmas, and the next summer Gwyneth came to stay in London with James, and he showed her that city's museums, cathedrals, shops parks, monuments, and other wondrous things. Whether they got back to Narnia or not I am not certain, but I do know that later in life, when both had gone to university and become scholars, James of history, Gwyneth of literature, they became friends with at least three pupils who spoke of similar experiences. They always remained the best of friends, and once a year, no matter how old they got, they spent at least two weeks at the house where their adventures all started, even after it passed to Gwyneth.  
  
On the other side of the thicket, King Gale marched back to his men and told them of his encounter, and that they needed to start home immediately. They had no more strange encounters in those waters, and easily found their way back to the Seven Isles, where Gale asked Cordelia to marry him. She accepted with pleasure, and eventually they all made a safe landfall at Cair Paravel. Gale and Cordelia married soon after, and he bestowed upon her the Star of the Utter East (a diadem like his Heart of Narnia, but set with a large diamond), and they settled down as King and Queen of Narnia. They were loved by their subjects, both in Narnia and overseas, and the land was happy during their reign. In the Lone Islands Giles ruled well as governor, and the people found life much more pleasant under him than it had been under the barons. Giles ordered the corpse of the dragon skinned, and its scales became the distinctive green armor of the Governor General's Guard, the first true and loyal military unit raised in those lands, fighting from loyalty to their land, not merely money.  
  
Larian, Gale and Cordelia's son, eventually married Giles' daughter Arianna, and Gwydian the Mariner, the greatest admiral that world was ever to see, was their son. Under him the combined squadrons of Narnia, Terebinthia, and the Islands swept the Calormene fleet from the sea, never again to menace freedom in that world. He went on to quest in the wild lands to the north of Narnia when a new danger arose there, and it is said that he too had the aid of visitors from our world in his quest... but this story draws to its end, and there isn't time to start another one now. Of Gwydian and his quest and the lands of the north another time, then, and there may yet be other tales to tell. What's that you ask? I am not certain if those pupils who spoke of the same experiences were those children who have appeared in other books, but if ever I do find out, I may put it in some other story.  
  
THE END 


End file.
